


Like A Promise

by ethemreal



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Autistic Zuko (Avatar), Engineer Sokka, First Kiss, Fluff, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Past jetko, Pining, Roommates, Sharing a Bed, Sokka (Avatar) Has ADHD, Theater Nerd Zuko (Avatar), background bakoda, background kataang, but jet isn't a villian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28152450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethemreal/pseuds/ethemreal
Summary: "This is fantastic, Sokka.”“Well if you like it so much, you're on dishes tonight.”“For this? Absolutely.” Zuko replies, trying not to say what he’s actually thinking.For you? Anything.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 65
Collections: MMEU Winter Solstice Exchange 2020





	Like A Promise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [idiotsokka (kevintran)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kevintran/gifts).



> hope this isn't too angsty, I promise it ends well :)
> 
> song inspirations for this fic:  
> Tessa Violet - Crush  
> Tessa Violet - Bad Ideas  
> Mitski - Pink in the Night  
> half•alive - Arrow

Morning sun breaks through Zuko’s window. He wakes quickly, glancing at his phone to see that his alarm hasn’t gone off yet, and stretches as he rolls out of bed. He blinks at the bright light when he enters the bathroom, brushing his teeth and combing his hair without quite thinking. Finished but still not awake, he stands there and squints at himself in the mirror for a minute before accepting that he just isn’t going to look his best on a Friday. Not that his best is anything to write home about.

He heads to make breakfast, grabbing some leftover rice from the fridge and puttering around the kitchen in that early morning fuzziness. Without even noticing he somehow manages to make a cup of coffee while cooking. He may still get up at daybreak, but he doesn’t make himself spring straight upright the moment he’s awake anymore. He graduated, his father is out of his life, and Iroh won’t mind if he’s a little late to work, or a little less than presentable. It wasn’t easy to get to this point, so he figures he’s earned the lazy mornings, and he enjoys getting to eat breakfast with Sokka.

Serving himself a plate of fried rice and leaving the rest in the pan to stay warm, Zuko sits down to eat. As he’s eating he hears Sokka get up, a moment later he grumbles his way through the kitchen and snags some food. 

His hair is down, shirt rumpled, and when he yawns and stretches it rides up a little.

Zuko feels himself staring, and tries to hide behind his coffee even though he knows it doesn’t hide him at all. Sokka sits down beside him, grumbling slightly as he eats, and Zuko realises the time. 

“You know it’s almost 9?” He asks as he sets his cup down.

Sokka fishes his phone from his pocket and looks at it wide eyed, as he realises he needs to get to class like  **now** , not just soon. He stands up quickly, his feet sliding a little on the floor, and scrambles to the bathroom running his hands through his hair.

When he reemerges his hair is tied up, and he grabs his backpack from the couch and hops his shoes on, doing an awkward shuffle as he tries to get his heels seated in them. Zuko watches this whole thing with rapt attention, constantly stunned by how gorgeous his roommate looks while he’s being a complete mess. The door swings shut behind Sokka, slamming unintentionally, and the utter silence returns with his absence.

Zuko finishes his breakfast and gets his shit together to go to work. He steps out the front door, locking it behind him, and walks the couple blocks to the Jasmine Dragon. As he rounds the corner of the last block he sees Aang, who immediately spots him as well.

“Zuko!” aang practically shouts his name, a bright smile across his face “It’s good to see you, I was just talking with Iroh and he said you were a couple minutes late, so I thought I’d wait here so I could talk to you! How are you?” Aang speaks quieter as Zuko nears him, and then Aang springs forward, wrapping him in a hug.

“I’m… fine”

“You're fine? You’re late to work. I asked Iroh where you were and he said that you have been a lot lately.” Aang releases him from the hug, but leaves his hands on Zuko’s shoulders. 

Zuko mutters and shrugs Aang's hands off him, leans against the wall of the building and runs his hands down his face.

“I really am fine, I just. Well you know I like Sokka, and, maybe I’ve been a little distracted.”

“Oh are you still having your ‘crisis’ about that?”

“Ugh I regret telling you. He just, he had his hair down when he got up this morning and, augh!” Zuko tries to slide down the brick wall he’s leaned against dramatically, but being brick he doesn’t slide very well. He makes it a few inches, his clothes dragging behind him uncomfortably, and has to abort the motion. He pushes himself forward from the wall to just stand up normally, and to his embarrassment sees that Aang is carefully keeping his face still, trying not to laugh at him.

“Can’t you just tell him you like him?”

“No, we Live together.”

“So?”

“You remember that whole thing with Jet. I know it’s a different situation, but I can’t.”

“I still think you should tell Sokka that you like him.” 

Zuko looks at Aang like he’s crazy, and Aang shrugs in reply 

“Just think about it?” Aang asks

“Don’t worry about that, I haven’t  **stopped** thinking about it since I moved in.”

“You should get inside.” Aang pointedly looks over at the tea shop, where the line to order is getting close to the door. He hugs Zuko and turns to leave.

Zuko grumbles “yeah. Hey, Aang?”

“Yeah?” Aang asks, turning back around

“We should hang out soon, like properly.”

Aang smiles “Of course! Text me and we can make plans” 

Zuko smiles back at him, and opens the door to the Jasmine Dragon, bell jingling as Iroh looks over.

“Zuko, there you are!”

~ ~ ~ 

Sokka opens the door one handed, and then almost drops his key on the floor when his backpack falls off his shoulder, the strap catching on his forearm. He sighs to himself and kicks the door shut. Sitting down at the table, he resigns himself to start working on his engineering project before Zuko gets home.

Next thing Sokka knows he's hearing the front door open, and he groans from where his head is collapsed on his arms. He lifts his head slowly, and looks over at Zuko. Zuko's standing in the doorway looking at Sokka with his eyebrow raised. 

Sokka looks across the table, his schoolwork all over it, and looks back up at Zuko, and mumbles “Sorry.”

“I just want to go take a shower.” Zuko says, walking past Sokka to his bedroom.

“You do that. I should cook dinner for us.”

He turns and watches Zuko walk into his room, drop his stuff on the floor and head to the bathroom, pulling off his shirt as he walks. Sokka feels heat rise in his cheeks, and drags his eyes away from Zuko as the bathroom door closes. 

Sokka looks at his laptop, and closes it in exasperation, he obviously isn’t getting any more done on his project tonight. He sweeps the table off into his bag, and goes to start dinner.

Sokka hears Zuko get out of the shower and walk to his room, he glances over his shoulder as Zuko’s door swings shut. Zuko reemerges from his room, dressed and looking slightly less miserable, and smiles at Sokka as he enters the kitchen. 

“How soon will it be done?”

“It’ll only be a minute.”

He hears Zuko sit down at the table behind him, chair squeaking on the floor. “So you’re working on a big project?”

Sokka shudders as he stirs. “Yeah, I’ll probably be dead to the world by the time I’m done with it.” He lifts the pan off the heat, serving the stir fry onto plates and turning to set them down.

Zuko digs in eagerly before Sokka even sits down, humming his approval.

Sokka takes a bite, then asks with his mouth full “So how was theater today?”

“It was fine.”

“You’ve got another rehearsal tomorrow, right?”

“Mmhmm.” Zuko says, mouth full of stir fry.

They eat the rest in silence, Zuko finishing before Sokka.

Zuko gets up, putting his plate in the sink. “I should go to bed soon. Aang said something about me always being late.” He rolls his eyes.

“Oh, you saw Aang?”

“Yeah he was at the Jasmine Dragon this morning. Apparently Iroh says I’m late really often, so I got bullied by both of them.”

Sokka laughs “It sure is like that. Aang is so nice until suddenly he’s poking you right in the insecurities. Katara’s like that too, but I think that's a sister thing.”

Zuko laughs “Yeah that is a sister thing.”

“She was bugging me about visiting the other day, and Aang got in on it too, so they’re coming by tomorrow. Sorry I should have told you sooner.”

“That’s nice. What time?”

Sokka looks at his phone “Uh, noon ish? Aw shoot you’ll be at-”

“I’ll be at the theater by then.”

“Aw man, we need to get the whole gang together soon.”

“Yeah, we do. I really should go to bed though.” Zuko gets up, putting his plate in the sink, and heading to his room.

“Good night.” 

~ ~ ~ 

Sokka wakes up slowly, coming into consciousness with all the relief of a saturday. Checking his phone he sees a text from Katara, and decides he’ll wait until after he’s eaten breakfast to respond. 

As he drags himself out of bed to the bathroom he sees Zuko at the kitchen table with his script in front of him and a cup of coffee, presumably neither his first nor his last. Sokka scrubs his teeth and puts his hair up, grabbing his meds before going back out. Zuko’s left breakfast on the stove, a rice porridge that’s gone mostly cold, but Sokka’s never minded that, so he helps himself to it and takes his meds. 

He sits there, eating and trying not to think about how much more homework he has to do. Back in high school he would put it all off until sunday evenings, but when he started college that just didn’t cut it anymore, so he made a rigorous schedule and stuck to it obsessively. Since he got his meds a few years ago it's been easier, so he doesn’t bother keeping the strict schedule anymore, but he does still block out time each day for homework, because if he doesn’t he knows he  **will** just end up putting it off until the day it’s due, and that would cut it even less in the masters program. 

Sokka forces himself to stop ruminating on it, pulling out his phone to read Katara’s text.

From: Katara

don’t forget :)

Sokka groans aloud, wondering how to reply, when Zuko shoves his script into his bag and downs the rest of his coffee, presumably long since cold. He looks over at Sokka, raising his eyebrow and asking “Don’t you have homework to do?” 

“Don’t you already have that play memorised?” Sokka shoots back.

“Yeah, but that’s not the-” Zuko drops his head onto his crossed arms on the table “I’m not  **good** at acting, it doesn’t matter how well I’ve memorised the words, it doesn’t help.” 

“If it doesn’t help, why are you agonising over it? Maybe taking time to relax would help more than re-reading the script?”

“Shut up Sokka” he grumbles, muffled from his head still being in his arms. “Also that didn’t answer my question, don’t you have homework to do?” 

“It did answer your question, you just weren’t listening. Memorisation only goes so far, it’s important to take time to relax in order to give one’s best performance”

“You sound like Uncle. I have to deal with that enough on weekdays.” 

“Well maybe if you just drink some calming tea-” Sokka starts saying in a terrible mock Iroh voice, but Zuko effectively cuts him off by sitting bolt upright and immediately grabbing at Sokka’s face. Sokka jerks his head backwards to dodge Zuko’s hands, and starts laughing. 

Zuko keeps flailing his hands at Sokka's face, managing to slap him once. In his attempt to  **not** get hit in the face first thing in the morning, thank you very much, Sokka feels his chair tips over backwards. He laughs as he falls, hitting the ground hard. The chair back digs into his spine, but Sokka keeps laughing as he lays there.

Zuko immediately goes over, mortified, and starts apologizing- as Zuko leans over Sokka, reaching a hand out to help him, Sokka simply swings one arm up and slaps Zuko’s face in return. 

Zuko reels backwards spluttering indignantly “I was trying to help you, you're the one who started it! Stop laughing Sokka.” 

Sokka props himself up on his elbows, still on the floor, legs over the top of the upturned chair, and raises an eyebrow “Oh, no, this is definitely all your fault.”

Zuko looks at him and then immediately looks away again, face slightly pink. He sits back down in his chair at the table “Sorry.”

Sokka wonders what’s got him looking so flustered, and rolls over to get off the fallen chair. Pushing himself to his feet, he grabs the chair and sets it back upright. Then he considers, and spins it around to be backwards and sits down straddling it, arms crossed on the back. “It’s all good dude, it was funny.” 

At that moment Zuko’s alarm goes off, and he swipes it away, glancing at Sokka regretfully before grabbing his bag and heading out. The air is thick somehow, and the casual goodbye Sokka was going to say dies in his throat. He sits there silently as he watches the door close behind Zuko.

He checks the time, 10:30, and closes out of the text from Katara. He figures he can get some work on his engineering project done before she comes over at noon. 

Sokka’s completely lost track of time and forgotten about his plans when he hears a knock.

He scrambles over to open the door, finding Katara standing there with one hand digging in her purse and the other hand holding a coffee. Next to her Aang is holding a coffee as well, but as though it isn’t his own. Katara looks up at Sokka, and says “Oh good, you  **are** alive.”

“Yeah, sorry, I was working on school stuff.”

“I knew you’d forget.” Sokka opens his mouth to defend himself, but Katara just keeps talking. “I asked Aang to text you while I was driving but he didn’t want to bother you.” Katara drives because she’s heterosexual, Aang doesn’t drive because he’s a monk, and Sokka’s sure that makes sense somehow but he’s never quite figured out how. 

Aang smiles and shrugs.

“A text would have been nice, Aang” Sokka contributes, stepping back from the door so they can come in.

“I’ll text you next time, promise.” Aang says, following Katara into the apartment, and then he looks back at Sokka “You look so… tired.”

Katara takes the cup of coffee from Aang's hand and passes it to Sokka, saying “I told you he would be like this.” 

Aang seems surprised “But it’s a saturday!” 

“Thanks.” Sokka says to Katara dryly, leaning on the door so it clicks shut. “Yeah, that means I have 4 days ‘til I have to submit this project, and I’ve barely gotten anything done.” 

Aang looks at the papers now covering the kitchen table and says “It looks like you’ve done a lot to me.” 

“Oh this?” Sokka flings an arm out, gesturing at the mess as they walk over “This is  **nothing** , this is just the prep work. I’ve gotta do research and gather references first in order to write this engineering proposal, I practically haven’t even  **started** .” 

Katara starts stacking the papers and chimes in cheerily “Well your research can wait ‘til you’re awake. You know you can’t work like this.” 

“Yeah, it’s our bonding time!” Aang says brightly

Sokka groans “Do you have to call it that Aang?” 

“Yep!” 

Katara sits down, and hands the stack of papers to Sokka, who stows them in his backpack. Aang and Sokka follow her lead, sitting beside her at the now cleared off table. 

They sit around and chat for a bit, Aang talking about his upcoming trip with Gyatso and Katara complaining about her work study. Sokka takes the opportunity to complain about his project, but somehow in the course of their conversation he finds himself more optimistic about school. 

“My latest project may be stressing me out, but I have great grades. Even if I fail this I’ll still pass the class.”

“Well I’m glad you feel better about yourself now, but my life still sucks,” Katara says, “Pakku is the  **worst** .”

“Yeah I can’t help you with that, sis. Some people just suck.”

“Speaking of people who suck, how is Zuko doing?”

“Oi! That’s my best friend you're talking about!” 

Aang frowns, his eyes wide and sad “I thought I was your best friend.”

“Yeah, you’re right Aang.” Sokka aquesces. They have known each other longer than he’s known Zuko, and he realises that his reaching for ‘best friend’ as a title for Zuko is coming from a place of some feelings that are very much  **not** platonic.

“I guess it’s okay, Zuko’s my best friend.” Aang says, smiling cheerfully.

“Hey!” Sokka almost yells in disbelief, “But I just agreed that  **you’re** my best friend!”

“So, how is my best friend Zuko doing?”

Sokka grumbles, but answers the question. “He’s been alright. He’s at theater right now.”

“Oh, I need to text him and make plans,” Aang says, pulling out his phone.

“This morning I was doing an impression of Iroh, and Zuko tried to stop me by slapping my face. I fell over backwards laughing, it was so funny.”

Katara smiles while miming gagging “You have  **such** a crush on him.”

Aang looks up from his phone, very carefully keeping his face neutral but open, despite Sokka knowing that Aang definitely knows about his crush. 

Sokka turns red but cuts back at Katara that “Come on, it was just a funny story.”

“Someone call poison control, I need an antidote, my brother is in  **love** .”

“It’s not like I was talking about anything oogie, or Tui and La, making out in front of you like you and Aang do all the time to me!” 

“No, but you’d like to wouldn’t you.”

“So what? It’s not like he likes me back.” His voice drops to a mumble. “And even if he did it wouldn’t  **go** anywhere.”

Aang looks at Sokka consideringly and asks “Why are you so sure Zuko doesn’t like you back?”

Sokka sighs “He’s like, pretty, and talented, and he has his life together unlike me. I can’t even get my project proposal done.”

Aang says “Weren’t you just talking about how proud of yourself you are for being in a masters program? You’re really smart Sokka, and I have it on good authority that you’re pretty too.”

“What? Who said I'm pretty?” 

“Zuko for one.”

Katara turns and gapes at Aang.

Sokka feels his jaw drop. “What? When?” 

Katara chimes in “I’m sure there must have been context.”

“I don’t wanna say too much, cause it was a personal conversation, but he was talking about his scar and his appearance and he said that he’s the ugly one in the house, and said ‘especially’ compared to you.” Aang puts finger quotes around the word especially for emphasis. While Sokka is stunned into not responding, Aang continues “besides, you were with Suki, and she’s really pretty.”

Katara jibes “Yeah I’m sure that even though you weren’t pretty before, some of her prettiness must have rubbed off on you. You probably absorbed some via osmosis.” 

“Hey!” Sokka shouts at Katara “That’s not nice, if i’m pretty now I was always pretty!” 

“See, I  **can** bully you into having self esteem, I’ve done it twice today!” 

Sokka drops his head onto the table with a thud, and points at the door “Get out of my house.” 

“No.” Katara says, threateningly cheerful.

“Fine.” 

“Well now that you’ve accepted you can’t kick me out, we should go and let you get back to your homework. By the way, you should visit home soon. Dad keeps talking about how he misses you.” 

“I will soon, I promise.”

Katara glares at him, a sharp contrast from her smile a second ago. 

“Okay, this week? I could come after class on Wednesday?” 

“Are you free tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, fine. I can visit tomorrow.”

“Do you want me to come pick you up so you don’t forget?” 

Sokka sighs.  _ I guess I should be glad she knows me so well. _

“I’ll be by at noon.” 

“Thank you Katara.”

~ ~ ~ 

The moment that the rehearsal is over Zuko walks off to the side, grabbing his things and sitting down on one of the shitty folding chairs. He hears Piandao start talking as he checks his phone and sees he has a text.

From: Aang 

Hey buddy! Sokka says you’re at theater so no need to respond right away, but you said you’d text me to make plans :)

To: Aang 

Yeah. 

Distantly he recognises that Piandao has stopped talking, and the other actors are milling around and grabbing their own things, but Zuko is only half listening as his phone goes off again 

From: Aang

What’s your schedule this week?

He’s started typing his reply when he hears Ty Lee.

“Hi Zuko!”

He looks up from his phone to see Ty Lee positively beaming down at him.

“Hey.”

“You did really well today!”

“Thanks.” He smiles at her, glancing back down at his phone for a second, and deciding to set it aside. “I appreciate that, coming from you.”

“Oh gosh, ‘coming from me’? I’m not sure I deserve that kind of recognition.” 

“Of course you do. You’ve worked at this harder than any of the rest of us.”

“Well, I heard from Piandao that you’ve been working on writing something.” Ty Lee says conspiratorially, lowering her voice.

“He told-” Zuko stops himself, sighing. “It’s nothing special, just, just an idea I’ve been working on for a little bit. It’s not, like, finished yet.”

“Piandao seemed to think it’s pretty good.” She sits down beside Zuko. “Good enough that maybe you’d want me to help with blocking and choreography?”

Zuko blinks at her. “Yeah. Yeah I can give you a copy next weekend, during dress rehearsal?”

“That sounds great!”

“Just, it’s not really Finished yet, you know? Like there's a lot I’m still working on, so-”

Ty Lee interrupts him. “Oh, I have to go, my ride is here.”

Zuko looks over, and sees Mai walking toward them. She smiles and waves at Zuko. He waves back, and Ty Lee hugs him and then bounces off to Mai, linking their arms together as they head out.

Zuko opens the apartment door to find that Sokka is in the kitchen cooking, his hoodie sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Which is not what Zuko expected to get home to find. Sokka's homework is nowhere to be seen, the table miraculously cleared. 

“Oh spirits, you're cooking? I thought you’d be buried in your engineering project. You're the best roommate.” 

Sokka laughs “Hello to you too. Yeah food will be done in like 15 minutes, so you’ve got time to shower off the theater stench.” 

Zuko looks down at himself and wrinkles his nose in disgust “Yeah I’m gonna go do that.” He smiles and tosses his bag in his room. 

Getting in the shower he washes himself briskly, more for efficiency than for enjoyment, but in the end finds himself relaxing into the hot water. When he’s run out of ways to put off getting out of the shower he wraps his towel around his waist and steps out of the steamy bathroom, to a wonderful smell. 

“Wow, that smells great” He says over his shoulder as he steps into his room to get dressed. He's pulling on pants when his phone buzzes with a notification, reminding him that he never replied to Aang. He tosses an old t-shirt over his arm, and turns around to step out of his room while texting. 

From: Aang

You okay? You never responded.

To: Aang

Sorry.

To: Aang

You know my work schedule.

From: Aang

Well yeah but you’ve got that show coming up, I don’t know when your rehearsals are.

To: Aang

Dress rehearsal is thursday, it finishes at 6.

From: Aang

Cool, I could come over after that?

To: Aang

Sure. Let me check with Sokka first.

From: Aang

Okay!

As he enters the kitchen Sokka turns to say something and goes slightly red in the face, and immediately looks away from Zuko. Zuko sets down his phone on the table and casually shrugs his shirt on, not sure why Sokka’s so weird about it.  _ Does he know that I like him? I’m not like, trying to come on to him or anything.  _

Zuko walks over, grabs a bowl of stew, and sits down beside Sokka at the table. 

“I was just texting with Aang, he’s gonna come over next thursday if that’s okay with you?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Sokka doesn’t look over at him as he replies.

Zuko takes a bite of food and a small moan somehow works its way out of his throat. “Sokka, this is really good.” 

Sokka looks up at him, making eye contact again after having so studiously avoided his face, and he smiles widely “Thanks! Katara was over earlier, and I couldn’t stop thinking about sea prunes. I’m glad I still had the recipe. Do you really like it?”

“Yeah this is fantastic, Sokka, your cooking is always good.”

“Well if you like it so much, you're on dishes tonight.” 

“For this? Absolutely.” Zuko replies, trying not to say what he’s actually thinking.

_ For you? Anything. _

“Should I have aimed higher? Asked you to cover more of the rent?” 

“Yeah you probably could have talked the price up, but I can do the dishes every evening if you’d like me to. I mean, you cook like, every day.” Zuko smiles at Sokka, and then digs into his food eagerly the moment he finishes talking. 

Sokka laughs brightly, slurping the last of the broth from his bowl. Sokka hands his dishes over to Zuko, yawning wide and leaning back in his chair “Ooh after a meal like that I need a nap.”

“Careful, you might fall over.” Zuko teases, standing up and taking the dishes to the sink.

Sokka huffs in reply, setting his chair back down onto all four feet and standing up “Have fun doing the dishes.” he snarks, and heads to his room.

Zuko tries to throw a scowl after Sokka’s retreating form, but can’t find it in himself to actually do so. All he can feel is contentment as he scrubs the bowls, the flavor of stew lingering on his tongue, warmth in his stomach as he goes to bed. 

Zuko wakes up to the sound of Sokka crying. He hears him go to the bathroom, and then a minute later hears him clattering around in the kitchen. Zuko decides to get up and go out there. 

He walks out and sees Sokka making himself tea. 

Sokka looks over at Zuko. “Sorry for waking you up.” he says, his voice rough from crying, eyes red. 

“It's fine.” Zuko replies. 

He pauses for a minute, standing in the hallway still, as Sokka leans on the kitchen counter and drinks his tea. then Zuko asks “Are you gonna be okay? Can I do anything for you?”

Sokka says “Yeah, I’ll, I'll be okay,” he finishes his tea and sets it down “Can I.. could I maybe, come sleep with you?” 

“Yeah. Of course. It’ll be just like when we were in the dorms” 

Sokka chuckles “Except hopefully no one will stumble into the room drunk.”

Zuko smiles, and turns and goes back to his room, Sokka trailing behind. They climb into bed side by side, and fall asleep. Zuko watches Sokka drift off, wondering how he ended up here. 

_ Best not to question, I’d hate to lose this. _

~ ~ ~

Zuko wakes up with arms wrapped around him, and his head tucked under a chin. He can hear Sokka’s alarm going off in the other room, the sound muffled by the walls. He mumbles something, not even sure what he’s trying to say, but getting no response he pulls back from Sokka. 

“Sokka, it’s morning.” 

Sokka grumbles and tries to pull Zuko in closer, Zuko smiles a little and pushes him back with both hands on his chest. 

“Sokka, you need to wake up.”

“Mm no.”

“Your alarm is going off.”

“Izzit only the first one? Then I don’t need to. I’m comfy, and you're warm” Sokka curls up, nuzzling his own face into Zuko’s chest, a reversal of the position Zuko woke up in. 

“Sokka, you don’t have class, it’s sunday.”

“Mm then I don’t have to get up, now do I.”

“Yeah, but it’s annoying” 

“Turn it off yourself if it bothers you so much.” Zuko moves to get up, and Sokka tries to keep holding on to him “No, don't go.”

Zuko laughs, and peels Sokka's arms off of him. “I’ll be right back.” 

He opens Sokka’s door and goes to turn off the alarm, so much louder from in the room that he almost wants to close his eyes, as though that would somehow block out the noise. He finds the off button, then looks at the settings a little to make sure he hasn’t snoozed it by accident. Satisfied he turned it off, he turns and goes back to his room. 

He stops in the doorway when he sees Sokka laying face down on Zuko’s own pillow. Somehow a smile pulls itself onto Zuko’s face despite the inconvenience. Maybe he doesn’t mind too much. He climbs back into bed, head on the other side of that same pillow, his face only inches from Sokka’s. 

Zuko pokes around on his phone for a bit, then remembers he never texted Aang back.

To: Aang

Sorry I forgot to reply. Sokka said it’s fine.

From: Aang

Great! I’ll see you then!

Zuko’s phone going off seems to finally wake Sokka up. He snuggles up closer to Zuko, grumbling. “What time is it?”

Zuko adjusts, wrapping his arms around to behind Sokka’s head so he can look at his phone. “A little after 10.”

“Mmm, I want an omelette.”

“I can make that.”

Sokka tilts his head back to look up at Zuko. “You’re the best.”

“Well, I can’t make anything until we get up.”

“You're the  **worst** .”

Zuko chuckles and rolls away from Sokka, getting out of bed. Sokka rolls over and hugs Zuko’s pillow, and Zuko feels a smile pull across his face. He grabs clothes and heads to the bathroom, changing and brushing his teeth. When he comes back to his room, Sokka isn’t there, so he throws his laundry in the hamper and heads out to the kitchen. He pulls eggs from the fridge, happy to see there's enough for both of them. 

He hears Sokka in the bathroom brushing his teeth, and yells at him. “What do you want in your omelette?”

He hears Sokka try to say something in response and choke. Zuko laughs to himself, and a moment later he Sokka yells back. “Whatever you feel like, you know me. Go ham!”

Zuko looks in the fridge and, knowing Sokka would appreciate the joke, grabs the ham. He also pulls out a bell pepper, and some mushrooms for himself. He starts the eggs on the stove, and dices up the extras. 

Sokka comes out, sees the ham and starts laughing.

“You said ‘go ham’.”

“That I did.” Sokka says, hopping up onto the clean bit of the counter, and kicking his legs back and forth.

Zuko dumps the diced ham and bell pepper in, and looks up at Sokka. Sokka stops kicking his legs for a moment, and Zuko wishes he could kiss him. He licks his lips without thinking, and then tears his eyes back away to the stove. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Sokka start swinging his legs again.

When the omelette is done he looks over at Sokka. “I need a plate.”

Sokka leans forward, perched precariously on the edge of the counter, allowing Zuko to reach behind him to open the cupboard and grab two plates. He slides the omelette from the pan onto one, and hands it to Sokka. He starts the eggs for his own omelette, and leans up against the counter next to the stove.

Sokka slides down from the countertop and sits at the table. He takes a bite of his omelette, and Zuko looks at him expectantly and asks “Is it alright?”

Sokka looks over, and swallows the bite of food in his mouth. “Yeah man, thanks!”

Zuko smiles, glad his cooking is appreciated. He turns back to the stove, flipping his omelette. When it's done he plates it and sits down at the table. They eat breakfast together slowly. When Sokka finishes eating he props his legs up on Zuko’s lap.

Zuko has finished eating and is rubbing circles with his thumb on Sokka's ankle absentmindedly when he hears a knock at the door.

Sokka shouts “Come in!”

The door opens and Katara walks into the apartment, raising an eyebrow at Sokka and Zuko. 

“You ready to go, Sokka?”

“Uhh, give me a minute.” 

Zuko lets his ankle slip out of his hand as Sokka gets up, and heads to his room. Katara sits down in the seat he just vacated.

“So how have you been, Zuko?”

“Fine.”

Katara hums in response. “You should come visit too, sometime.”

“Yeah? I don’t want to intrude on your family time.”

“You’re family too, Zuko.”

Zuko blinks in surprise, Sokka reemerging from his room just in time to save Zuko from thinking of a response. 

“Alright, I’m ready.”

Katara stands up, giving Zuko an appraising look before turning to Sokka. “Let's go then. Dad’s doing a roast.”

“Aw man, I just ate! I’m gonna be so stuffed.”

The door swings shut behind them, and Zuko sighs and starts washing the dishes.

~ ~ ~

Sokka feels absolutely stuffed, and pushes himself back from the table. 

Hakoda looks at Sokka “So how is school going?”

Sokka sighs “I’ve got a really big project to do this week.”

“Oh, is it going well?”

“Well, it is going.”

Katara chimes in “He was complaining about it when I visited yesterday. Though apparently it doesn't matter with his grades.” She rolls her eyes.

“Hey, just cause I have good enough grades that I don’t  **have** to worry about it doesn’t mean I want to trash my grades with  **one** project.”

“You said it’s due this week. Do you think you’ll get it done on time?” Katara asks, and Sokka knows she isn’t trying to sound judgmental, but it hits him right in his insecurities.

“It’s due on wednesday.”

“Then what are you doing here? You should go do your homework.” Hakoda says.

“I would be working on it, but Katara told me I  **had** to come over.”

Hakoda puts a hand on Sokka's shoulder. “I know you’ll do great.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Come help me with the dishes.”

Katara interjects “Come on dad, Sokka does cooking at his place, he doesn’t need to have responsibilities when he visits. You keep complaining that he won’t come over more often, maybe it’s cause you keep asking him to do chores.”

Hakoda puts up his hands in surrender as Bato laughs at him, and they go to do dishes together.

Katara takes the opportunity to bother Sokka “So what was with you and Zuko this morning? You two seemed rather cozy.”

“Can you get off my case?”

Katara’s eyes go wide “Hey, I’m sorry Sokka. Are you alright? if you need anything, I’m happy to talk about it.”

Sokka sighs “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I snapped at you. It's just, this morning was really weird and I don’t know what to do. I had a nightmare last night, and Zuko, uh offered? To, basically have a sleepover. You know, nothing intimate, it’s a totally normal platonic thing to do!” 

Katara’s face loses the last bit of concern on it, and she covers her mouth trying not to laugh.

“And then we woke up, uh, snuggling. And then didn’t talk about it! At all!”

Sokka puts his head in his hands, and through his fingers he sees Katara look over his head and freeze. Sokka tilts his head back up and Katara's eyes flick down to meet his, and he mumbles “Oh no, don’t tell me”

He turns slowly, still holding his head in his hands. “Yep. that's fantastic.” he says, looking at Hakoda through his fingers.

Katara winces “I'm sorry, Sokka, I shouldn’t have brought it up at home.”

Hakoda raises an eyebrow, and looks between the two of them, more amused than anything. 

Sokka takes his hands off his face and waves one dismissively at Katara. “No no, it's fine, I’m the one who answered the question.”

Hakoda says “You know, when I was your age, Sokka-”

“When you were my age you were with mom!” Sokka interjects.

Bato walks into the room and slides his arms around Hakoda, “And it's a good thing he was. I don’t know what I would do without you kids.” 

Sokka and Katara look at each other, both making exaggerated disgusted faces, and Katara laughs when she sees Sokka’s. They turn back to their dads. 

“So, yeah. I might be in love with my roommate?” Sokka rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

“‘Might be’? I think either you are or you aren’t, Sokka.” Bato says.

Katara scoffs “You keep acting like this is new, I’d think you’d have gotten used to being gay for your best friend by now.”

“Hey, we agreed yesterday that Aang is my best friend, not Zuko.”

“I think you only agreed to that because you want to be  **more** than friends with Zuko.”

“And besides, I’m bi. Not gay.”

Hakoda walks over and puts his hands on Sokka’s shoulders. “You know I’ll support you no matter what.”

“Koda and I are very proud of you.”

“Thanks dads.”

~ ~ ~ 

Sokka wakes up alone in his bed, blaring alarm dragging him into consciousness.

He gets up, tossing on clothes and wandering out to the kitchen, only to see Zuko has already gone to work. He can smell the breakfast Zuko had made, and Sokka goes over to see that he left it in the pan with the lid on. It isn’t hot anymore but it’s still warm, and Sokka eats it out of the pan, swallowing his yearning alongside each bite. He leaves the pan on the stove and slings his bag over his shoulder, and heads to class.

~ ~ ~ 

The clock in the Jasmine Dragon has been taunting Zuko, he’s staring at the second hand ticking down the hour left in his shift when hears the door open with a jingle. Zuko can’t for the life of him imagine why so many people want tea, but he supposes as long as it keeps paying him he’ll keep putting up with it. 

He regrets that sentiment the moment he looks up to greet the latest customer.

“Welcome to the Jasmi- Jet?”

“It’s good to see you, Zuko.”

“Good to-? What do you want, Jet.”

“A cup of tea and to catch up?” 

Jet seems genuinely confused at Zuko’s tone, and Zuko sighs, rubbing his face with his hands. Jet wasn’t responsible for everything that happened that year, and Zuko knows it’s not fair to take it out on him.

“What kind of tea do you want” 

“What kind would you recommend?”

“I’ll just give you some jasmine.”

“If the shop is named after it, it must be good.”

“Yeah.” Zuko starts making the tea, wishing that Jet would just vanish.

“How have you been, Zuko?”

“Fine.”

The both let the silence sit there as Zuko pours the tea and simply hands the cup to Jet. Jet stands there, holding it and staring at Zuko.

“What?” Zuko asks, uncomfortable with Jet’s staring.

“How much is it?”

“One copper.”

Jet fishes in his pocket with a hand, pulling out a copper piece and dropping it on the counter. Zuko puts it in the register. He looks back up at Jet.

“Feel free to have a seat. As you can see, all the tables are available.”

“But I wanted to talk to you.” Jet quirks an eyebrow up.

“I’m at work.”

“Fair ‘nuff. We should catch up some time.”

“I’d rather not.” Zuko says quietly, and for a moment he hopes Jet might not have heard him. Then a flicker of sadness crosses Jet’s face, and he sets his cup down on the counter, still half full.

“Thanks for the tea.” He turns and leaves.

Zuko stands there staring after Jet as the bell on the door jingles behind him, and then the sound dissipates.

“Why don’t you go home,”

Zuko startles at Iroh’s voice, jumping and spinning around to see him standing in the doorway to the back room.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that Uncle!”

Iroh chuckles “Sorry nephew. I was just saying, I can close up tonight.”

Zuko considers for a moment, wondering how much Iroh had heard, and how much he knew. Zuko wanted to go home already when Jet walked in, and now he wanted nothing more than to see Sokka.

“Thanks Uncle”

Zuko goes home, getting there early. When he walks in, Sokka looks up from his schoolwork confused. “You’re home early.”

“Yeah. Iroh let me off early.”

“Why?”

“Jet came in.”

“Oh.”

Zuko walks past Sokka to go shower. He heads straight to the bathroom, dropping all his things right on the floor. He stands in the hot water, letting it rinse away the tension he carried home with himself.

He comes out of the bathroom to see that Sokka got his schoolwork off the table, and is standing by the TV.

Sokka looks up at him. “Do you want to watch a movie?” 

“Sure.”

Sokka puts on a movie, Zuko doesn’t pay any attention to which one. He sets the remote down. 

“I’m hungry. What do you want for dinner?” He walks into the kitchen, pulling open the fridge and looking through it. 

Zuko follows him to the kitchen, leaning against the counter next to the stove. “Do we have stuff for lo mein?”

Sokka pulls a few things out of the fridge, then checks the cupboards and pulls out noodles triumphantly. “Yeah we do!”

They hang out in the kitchen chatting while Sokka cooks, the movie in the background utterly ignored.

“Does this seem good to you?” Sokka asks, holding out some lo mein to Zuko.

He leans forward to try it, a moan slipping from his mouth after he swallows. “Yeah, it’s, uh, really good.”

“Cool, pass me a bowl?”

Zuko hands one over, and Sokka serves himself and gestures for Zuko to do the same. He takes a bite, and says. “You’re right, this is really good.”

Sokka heads to the couch and sits down, then looks up at the TV and laughs “You know, we’ve missed half the movie already.”

Zuko sits down beside him and says “That’s probably for the best, it doesn't look very good.”

Sokka laughs, mouth full of noodles.

Zuko smiles and eats his food in silence, trying not to remember Sokka offering him a taste over the stove, one hand cradled carefully below the outstretched chopsticks.

Sokka finishes his food, putting his bowl on the coffee table, and turns to Zuko to ask “Hey, are you doing okay? I know that Jet is kind of related to a lot of your bad memories. 

Zuko blinks from the emotional whiplash, not happy to be remembering his encounter from earlier that day. “Yeah I’m fine.”

Sokka looks Zuko in the eyes, and smiles at him softly “If you have a nightmare you can come get me up, you know, reciprocity and all that. I never minded it when we were in the dorms together last year.”

Zuko feels a knot in his chest untie “Okay, if I have a nightmare I will.”

“Promise?” 

“Promise.” 

The movie ends, credits rolling, and Sokka looks away from Zuko in surprise. “Looks like we missed the whole movie.” 

“It was trash anyways. Well, goodnight.” 

“Sleep well. Or…” he trails off, somewhat sad, but somehow sounding almost hopeful.

“Yeah.” Zuko gets up off the couch with a certain amount of reluctance, like he’s loath to go to bed at all, or perhaps more loath to leave Sokka’s presence. 

He goes to bed, and lays there tossing and turning for a while. When he does drift off finally, it’s restless. He wakes in a cold sweat, anxious, panicking, but can’t remember his dream. He shrugs it off and rolls over, tossing his blankets off, and tries to go back to sleep.

~ ~ ~ 

Sokka wakes up face down on his pillow, creases pressed into his skin. He thinks he remembers the sound of his door opening, and rolls over to see Zuko standing in the hall, framed by soft light and his doorway. He blinks a few times and squints into the light, and mumbles “Nightmare?”

Zuko steps into the room and shifts back and forth on his feet restlessly. “Yeah. Sorry, I should just-”

“No, no, come on I told you to wake me up if you had a nightmare.” As Sokka blinks, his eyes adjust and he realises Zuko is just in his underwear and t-shirt, and suddenly feels very guilty, for being attracted to him at all, let alone at a time like this. He rubs his eyes so he won’t have to make his face do the appropriate expressions, and the press of his fingers against his eyelashes and the sleep in the corners is so uncomfortable he immediately regrets it. He shifts himself to sit up in his bed, leaning against the cold wall, and pats the bed next to him, a gesture for Zuko to sit down. 

Zuko awkwardly accepts, sitting there bolt upright.

They sit in silence for a minute, before Sokka decides to prompt “Do you wanna talk about it? Or would you like a distraction?” 

“I, uh.. I think a distraction would be better.” 

Sokka shuffles aside so there’s more room for Zuko, and says “Come on, in you get. No sense in being uncomfortable.” 

“I woke up from a nightmare, of course I’m uncomfortable.” 

“I meant physically, you ding dong”

Zuko giggles, not because it’s particularly funny but because he woke up from a nightmare, and is a little frazzled. He scoots himself up the bed next to Sokka, and leans against the wall beside him.

Sokka pulls down the corner of the blanket for a second and then throws it over Zuko’s legs.

“That’s not, uh necessary”

“Shut up, you aren’t wearing any pants.” He says it in a joking tone, but Zuko gets uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry”

“Why?” asks Sokka, genuinely confused.

“For not wearing any pants”

“Yeah, I got that. But why are you sorry”

“Because I, I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable.” 

Sokka sighs, figuring the game is up and he should just admit it. Maybe being honest will help them stay friends through this.

“Okay, so it’s that obvious? Look, I should be the one apologizing-” 

“No, it’s, it's fine I just-” 

“It’s fine? Dude you're like, my best friend? And I don’t wanna make things awkward, but you don’t have to worry about making me uncomfortable, I can just deal with it. I mean, I’ve liked you and lived with it for this long, I really don’t.. I mean, when did you figure out?” 

“Wait, okay, we’re having two different conversations, and I am completely lost” 

“Oh so you don’t…”

“What?” 

Sokka shifts in his bed slightly, hunching his back a bit, slouching down against the wall “I guess I should just tell you. I mean, Aang was telling me to, literally the other day.”

Sokka takes a breath, unsteady and unsure “I like you, like, I have a crush on you. I’ve liked you for a while. I mean, I thought you were attractive when I met you, but, I guess I care about you more than that, now.”

Zuko, now leaning forward from the wall and turning to look right at him, stares at him open mouthed in silence.

“-Look I don’t want to make things weird, alright? My feelings are  **my** problem, and-” 

he gets cut off by Zuko suddenly grabbing him by the back of the head and pulling him in for a kiss.

Sokka is shocked, and sure he isn’t reciprocating well at first. It takes him so by surprise. But then he leans into it, eyes closing, and he grabs Zuko by the front of his shirt. 

Their mouths break apart for a split second before Zuko’s is on his again, his hand firm but not controlling on the back of Sokka's head, his thumb rubbing the fuzz of his shaved sides. It's such a tender motion that Sokka almost forgets about the kissing itself, but Zuko's lips against Sokka’s move as softly as Zuko's hand is moving in his hair, and it's overwhelming. Sokka feels like he could cry, awake in the middle of the night with the guy who may just be the love of his life, and now they’re kissing so sweetly. 

Sokka realises his hands are still clenched in Zuko’s shirt, and he makes himself let go. Sliding his hands up the back of Zuko’s neck, Sokka runs one thumb along his jaw, his other hand running through Zuko’s long hair. He hears a quiet moan slip from Zuko’s throat, and he melts into the noise, kissing him deeper. A moment later he feels Zuko’s fingers on his head curl over, and then immediately release. The marked hesitation reminds him that they haven’t actually talked about any of this, a fact Zuko seems cognizant of as well. 

Sokka pulls his face back, and says “Okay, not that I’m complaining, but what?”

“I like you too,” Zuko replies breathlessly “I like you too, I have for a while. I thought. I thought I was making you uncomfortable cause you knew I like you, and thought I was like, coming on to you or something and you weren’t interested.” 

“Me, not interested? Buddy, I’m so interested. That's what's Been making me uncomfortable, if you know what I mean.” Sokka wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. 

Zuko groans and puts his head in his hands. “Why are you like this. I’m trying to have a conversation.”

“Because you like it.”

Zuko glares at him from between his fingers

“Okay, fine, I’m just like this already, and the fact that you like it is a pleasant bonus.” 

Zuko drops his hands to his lap, then lifts one back up to run it through his hair.

Sokka grabs Zuko's hand in his hair, and pulls him in for another kiss. When they break apart again Sokka smiles, and Zuko finds himself mirroring it. 

Sokka's brain suddenly catches up with what Zuko said a minute ago “Wait, are you saying you weren’t coming on to me?” 

“Uh, I mean, no? I like you, I just, wasn’t trying to do anything about it.” 

“Why not?” 

Zuko looks away and doesn’t answer.

Sokka sits there in the silence for a minute, uncertain and wondering if he should ask further. He decides not to, instead murmuring “You should try to get some more sleep” 

Zuko says “Oh. Okay.” 

He moves to get up, and Sokka laughs and grabs his arm, realising Zuko misinterpreted his words.

“I meant here. With me” 

Zuko freezes, uncertainty holding his muscles in place “I don't, I don’t think that's a good idea.” 

“Hey, if you don’t want to, that's fine. But if you’re worried because of your nightmares, I really don’t mind. I want you to get sleep. And, I’d like to sleep with you in my bed.” 

Zuko looks around, like he’s not sure it’s a good idea for some other reason than his nightmares, but eventually agrees. “Okay. Okay. but, I should go get my phone.” 

“Alright.” Sokka releases his grip on Zuko’s arm, but catches his hand and pulls it to his mouth, giving a quick kiss to the back of it before letting him go.

Zuko turns so red that Sokka can see it even in the dim light of the night. He slips out the door, again letting the hall light stream in, blinding Sokka for a moment, and Sokka takes the opportunity to slide down into his bed so he’s laying again, rather than propped up against the wall. He shuffles his pillow around, and just as he sets his head down Zuko reappears as a silhouette in the doorway, phone in one hand and pillow tucked under his arm. Somehow Zuko is still awkward about it, a hesitance to his steps as he closes the door behind him and walks over to the bed. He sets his pillow down, and tucks his phone under it, and then awkwardly picks at the top of the blanket. 

“Come here.” Sokka says, and pulls back the top edge of the blanket as invitation. 

Zuko slips under the blanket, facing Sokka and laying there, very carefully not touching him. Sokka almost sighs aloud, but manages to hold it in. He grabs one of Zuko’s hands from where they lay in the space between them, and laces his fingers in between his. Zuko stares at him, wide eyed like a deer in the headlights, and Sokka presses a kiss to their knuckles. 

“Sleep, Zuko” and he closes his eyes.

~ ~ ~ 

Zuko wakes up with arms wrapped around him, and his head tucked under a chin. He can hear Sokka’s alarm going off, the sound ringing in his head, and he doesn’t know how it hasn’t woken Sokka yet.

“Sokka.” 

Sokka grumbles and tries to pull Zuko in closer, Zuko smiles a little and pushes him back with both hands on his chest.

“Sokka, you need to wake up.” 

“Mmmmrgh.” 

“Your alarm is going off.” 

“Uuugh, I can be late.” Sokka grumbles, and curls up nuzzling his own face into Zuko’s chest, a reversal of the position Zuko woke up in.

“Sokka. Sokka. You have class, I don't think you should be late.”

“No, I can. It’s fine.” 

“Well, if you insist, but your alarm is still going off and it’s very loud.” 

Sokka grumbles more, but uncurls, and then scoots himself up the bed and out of the blanket like a worm. He reaches for the alarm clock on his bedside table, but can't quite reach it, and ends up laying across Zuko at an odd angle, slapping at the table a few times, his hand falling short of the clock, but then he reaches it and wriggles his fingers around on top, searching for the button by touch. He presses it, and the alarm stops beeping. Sokka sags down, still laying across Zuko with his shoulders off the side of the bed, letting his head and arms dangle freely. 

“Sokka, this isn’t very comfortable.”

“Mmmrng stupid alarm.” he drags himself back onto the bed, and off of Zuko, and then wiggles his way back under the blanket in a manner that Zuko thinks should be impossible. Sokka keeps wriggling until the blanket is up to his ears, and then Zuko feels a hand grab one of his own in the space between their bodies. Zuko smiles contentedly and closes his eyes.

They must have eventually fallen back asleep like that, because the next thing he knows he’s waking up to sunlight streaming through the gap in the curtain, and his phone alarm going off beneath his pillow.

Sokka is plastered against Zuko’s back and an arm over his waist. Zuko grumbles slightly, pulls out his phone and hits snooze on his alarm, and tries to press his face down into the pillow to block out the light. 

Sokka wakes up, mumbling “What time is it?” 

“10” 

“Oh. I'm late for class.”

“Yeah.” 

Sokka chuckles softly into the back of Zuko’s neck “Did you sleep well? It didn’t seem like you had any more nightmares”

“Yeah.” Zuko barely mumbles it, muffled by the pillow. 

He doesn’t get a response, so he continues slightly louder “No, I mean.” 

Sokka chuckles warmly “What was that? I can't hear you.”

Zuko grumbles, realizing he’s been talking directly into the pillow, and so turns his head so his mouth isn’t pressed against the fabric “Yes I slept well, no I didn’t have any more nightmares.”

“That’s good.” Sokka murmurs, and kisses Zuko on the back of his head. Zuko freezes for a second, uncertain, and then rolls over to face Sokka. He blinks, trying to open his eyes but still all squinty from sleep. 

“What, uh,” His voice rasps as he tries to speak at a normal volume, and he clears his throat and tries again. “So, what are we? Uh, I mean like, are we together? What’s our-” 

Sokka interjects “I don’t think we have time for the ‘what are we’ conversation right now.” 

Zuko can feel his face crumple, and knows his emotions are written all over it. Just because they both said they like each other in the middle of the night doesn’t mean they’re gonna  **be** anything. Not that he’s sure that's a good idea anyway. 

Sokka’s face does something Zuko can’t quite read. “I don’t mean, I just have to get up and go to class. I can’t make it to my first class at this point anyway so I have time for a quick breakfast, but I don’t want to rush this conversation. I like you, Zuko, but I don’t want to assume anything until we’ve talked about it.”

Zuko feels relief at Sokka’s words, and lets his eyes fall closed for a second. He feels Sokka shift, and then lips press against his forehead. He opens his eyes to see Sokka sit up, and look expectantly at him. Zuko realises he needs to get up first so Sokka won’t have to crawl over him. 

He shucks off the blanket and stands, grabbing his pillow and his phone beneath it, and walks to the door. He hears Sokka get up behind him, and when he opens the door he catches Sokka looking at his butt. Sokka turns pink, and Zuko feels his own face flush in response. 

He dips his head down and walks out of the room, headed to his own, and making sure he closes his door all the way before changing. He hears the water going in the bathroom, so when he finishes getting dressed he sits down and checks his phone. He doesn’t wanna stand outside the bathroom waiting for Sokka to finish in there, it’s so awkward. 

Zuko texts Iroh to say he’ll be a little late to work. He hears the water stop and the bathroom door open, and then hears soka checking the fridge, he goes out and into the bathroom, to brush the fuzz off his teeth. 

Glancing at himself in the mirror, he thinks he actually looks well rested for once. He combs his hair, and then settles it into place with his hands. He comes out of the bathroom to see that Sokka is making breakfast. It’s such an obvious show of affection, normally Zuko handles breakfast. He wonders if Sokka’s cooking because they kissed, or because Zuko had a nightmare. Either way, it’s sweet. Zuko comes out and sits down at the table.

Sokka looks over in surprise. “No coffee?”

“I slept really well last night.” Zuko says it totally matter of factly, but then turns pink and looks down. 

Laughing, Sokka turns away from the stove and leans over to Zuko, lifting Zuko's chin with his hand. He pauses, a hair’s breadth of space between them, and looks right in Zuko’s eyes. Zuko feels like he can’t breathe. Sokka closes his eyes and the last little bit of distance, and Zuko melts into the kiss. 

He pulls away far quicker than Zuko would like, and turns back to the stove. It’s hardly a minute later when he grabs plates, serving them both. He sets one in front of Zuko, and takes a bite of his own before he’s even sat down. 

They eat in silence, Zuko trying not to stare at Sokka, but he keeps looking over. When Sokka finishes eating he gets up, puts his dirty dishes in the sink, and slings his backpack over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry for, uh, well.” He kisses Zuko again. “We can talk tonight?” 

“Yeah. We’ll talk tonight.” 

Sokka smiles and heads out the door.

Zuko finishes his food alone, gets up, and does the dishes. He smiles the whole time, and then heads off to work soon afterward. 

~ ~ ~ 

Sokka gets home from school and finds himself fretting about the conversation he and Zuko are going to have. He can’t think of any reason why it might go poorly, but there's a stone sitting in the bottom of his stomach and he just can’t shake it. He cooks dinner with slightly shaky hands, and the door opens just as the food seems finished. 

Zuko spends the meal taking small bites, pushing his food around his plate with his chopsticks, and not looking at Sokka. Sokka gives up eating halfways through, and looks at Zuko. 

“Zuko. What's wrong.”

“I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

Sokka feels his heart pounding in his throat. 

“I just don’t think we should have a relationship while living together.”

“Is this because of what happened with Jet?”

Zuko takes a deep breath. “Yes and no. I mean, I think that’s why I know it’s a bad idea, but, it would be whether or not I’d gone through that.”

Sokka can feel himself chewing on his lip, and tries to force himself to stop.

“I… You know I like you, but, what if it goes wrong? What if one of us messes up and then we’re still stuck living together? I don’t, I don’t think that you would do anything to hurt me, but I, I make mistakes. People make mistakes, and then you have to live with them. I don’t want you to be, stuck. With me.”

“I wouldn’t be stuck, Zuko. First off, I don’t think you  **would** do anything that we couldn’t come out the other side of still as friends. But also, if something did happen, and it wouldn’t, but if something  **did** , then I could move back in with my dads for a while. I mean, that was my plan before we became roommates. I have options.”

“I just. I don’t think it’s a good idea. Maybe if I, well, cared less, but I don’t think we could keep it casual.”

“Okay. That’s fair.” 

“We’re still friends, right?”

“Yeah. And, maybe someday?”

Zuko nods.

Sokka swallows against the tension in his throat “Okay. Okay. This doesn’t change anything. I mean, we’ve both liked each other for years, it’s the same as it’s always been.” Sokka smiles all gently and doesn’t let himself think about how he knows how wrong he is.

Sokka goes to bed listening to the white noise of the bathroom fan, and the familiar sounds of Zuko taking a shower.  _ This is for the best _ , he thinks.  _ Maybe one day, when we aren’t living together, we can start something. I’ll still love him.  _

He closes his eyes against the faint evening light, wishes he could close his ears against the sound of Zuko’s shower. Tonight it sounds like heartbreak, not home. He can’t be thinking about how home feels, about how it felt to hold Zuko, how his lips tasted, how he smiles when Sokka makes a joke. His bed smells like Zuko, and it fills his heart with a familiar longing, and Sokka realises how screwed he is, how much he has been in love with Zuko and for how long. 

He rolls over and grabs his phone, setting an alarm for early the next morning so he can go to the library before his class. Definitely not in order to avoid Zuko, he tells himself, even though he knows he’s lying, and he knows that he knows he’s lying. 

He falls asleep thinking about the future, thinking about a someday, thinking about a maybe.

~ ~ ~ 

Sokka’s alarm goes off before dawn has broken, the odd glow of the early morning sky highlighting the strange nausea he’s feeling. He gets up and contemplates the shower before deciding not to. He brushes his teeth, trying not to stare at himself in the mirror, bags beneath his eyes from lack of sleep and the tears he can feel himself holding back. He skips breakfast, leaving the house in a rush to get out before Zuko wakes up. Avoiding him now isn’t going to help when he sees Zuko next, but he just can’t do their usual morning routine, not with as raw as he feels.

He gets to the library and slumps into a chair, dropping his bag on the floor next to him. He pulls out his coursework and spends a minute looking through his notes from the last lecture. He can feel his brain skipping off the words, then his eyes hit the period at the end of a sentence like it’s a wall, and it clicks in his mind that he didn’t take his meds that morning.

Sokka lets his head fall into his arms, the feeling of failure for forgetting his meds compounding with his emotions from last night’s conversation. Realising he won’t be able to get anything done today he pulls out his phone and sets an alarm for 5 minutes, and then just starts crying. He can feel someone looking at him, but can’t bring himself to care. Back when he thought he had no chance with Zuko he didn’t think it would hurt so much to be rejected, but then they kissed, and slept in the same bed. Not for the first time, but it was different. Or maybe it wasn’t different at all, and that’s what hurts the most.

_ I feel like we’ve been together for a while. I’ve been treating us like a foregone conclusion. _

His alarm rings and he sniffles as he turns it off, wiping his face and throwing his bag over his shoulder, and heads off to class. He walks down the hall, nervous in a way where he almost doesn’t feel it anymore, it’s just a background hum behind his eyes. 

Sokka gets to the classroom a little bit early, and heads over to turn in his project. He rifles through his bag and hands over the stack of papers to his professor, who to Sokka’s shock immediately starts looking through it.

Sokka stands there with his mouth half open, when he gets to the end the professor sets it aside and looks up at him. “At first glance it looks like you’ve done a fantastic job. Sokka, you are an exceptional student. If you don’t have one yet, I’d like to be your thesis advisor.”

Sokka’s brain tries to process the words, certain he must be mishearing. He can feel his mouth hanging open, and he closes it, stammering out, “You really think so? I’m an ‘exceptional student’?”

“Absolutely. This proposal looks great and your grade will reflect that. Not that your grades need any help!”

“I, I have to. I have to go sit down.”

~ ~ ~ 

Zuko sighs to himself in exasperation, and sets his head down atop his notebook.

Zuko’s been working on his project for a while, rewriting and polishing, but he thinks it just isn't good enough yet. With Ty Lee’s comments the other day on his mind he was hoping to just sit down and get it done in the little time he has on break, but he’s been distracted all day. 

He keeps trying to tell himself that it’s for the best, not being with Sokka, but he isn’t sure that’s true. Sokka was gone already when Zuko got up in the morning, and he knows Sokka chose to do that, chose to leave early so he wouldn’t have to face Zuko. Zuko feels bad, Sokka went and confessed his feelings, brought it up himself as though Zuko hadn’t been dancing around it for ages, and Zuko kissed him. Zuko was basically saying yes, kissing him then. Sokka’s words weren’t an invitation to have a fling, they were deeper than that and Zuko knew it. He was terrified when Sokka said they would talk about it later, because he wanted to be with Sokka despite all the risk. but then when they did talk Zuko just shot him down. Zuko wishes he could go back in time and change one decision. Any one of them. If he had done a single thing differently he wouldn’t be sitting here, wasting his break at work thinking about his roommate rather than writing. 

When he gets home after work he finds Sokka puttering in the kitchen. It’s eerily normal, after Sokka’s very conspicuous absence that morning. Zuko almost doesn’t know what to do, isn’t sure whether he should say anything. 

He sits down at the table like nothing is different, ignoring the dread in his stomach from Sokka having not even said hello.

When Sokka walks over to the table with two plates of food, Zuko feels the knot in his stomach loosen.  _ It's okay, this isn’t the end, Sokka just needed a day. _

He smiles up at Sokka “Thanks.”

“Of course.” Sokka smiles back at him, then looks away quickly.

They eat in silence, not quite comfortable, but living with it. It’s hard to do this, to be in an in between, neither finished nor starting.

They finish eating and Zuko gets up to wash the dishes. He stands at the sink, asking over his shoulder “That project was due today, right?”

“Yeah. I turned it in. I’ll get my grade back by the weekend, but the professor said it looks good. He offered to be my thesis advisor.”

“Oh, wow. That’s great, Sokka.” Zuko replies. He means it genuinely, but wonders if that comes across right now.

“Yeah, I'm still in disbelief about it.” 

“I mean, you work really hard. I’m sure your professors can tell.”

“Thanks.” Sokka says. “Hey, your show is this weekend right?”

“Opening night is friday. I have rehearsal tomorrow.”

“Who all is coming?”

“Uncle is coming to all the shows. Aang said he’d be there for one of them, but I don’t know if he’ll make it to opening night. You’re welcome to come if you want.”

“Yeah man, of course I want to come.”

Zuko sets the last dish in the draining rack, and turns to face Sokka. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Sokka smiles at him, and then goes over to the couch. Zuko, not sure he can take sitting beside him while they’re like this, goes to take a shower.

As much as he wishes it could, hot water can’t fix everything. His muscles relax up to a point, then he shudders from the weight of his feelings. Tears spill from his eyes, mixing with the water pouring down his face, hair slicked flat. He tries not to sob, hoping that Sokka can’t hear him crying.

Dragging himself from the shower, he towels off and heads to his room. He moves through the hall quickly, his head down so Sokka won’t see that his eyes are red and puffy.

Zuko is lying awake, staring at the ceiling, when he hears Sokka come out of his room and putter around the kitchen in the night. Zuko gets up, pulls on clothes, and walks out. 

The apartment lights are buzzing slightly, only audible because there’s no other sound, not even traffic. Somehow this feels like it isn’t real. It’s liminal, it’s the middle of the night, it doesn’t count. The kitchen tile gleams in the electric glow like a gas station market at 2am.

Sokka looks up as Zuko walks into the kitchen, guilt and exhaustion on his face. 

Zuko doesn’t sigh. He asks, “Couldn’t sleep?” and Sokka nods. Zuko continues, “Yeah me neither.” 

Sokka swallows. “It feels empty. My bed feels empty without you in it. I’m-” He pauses and breathes. “I’m sorry, I shouldn't, it’s not your problem.” 

“No I, I get that. I’m, uh, it’s just we did that before. And, back when we were in the dorms. I could come to your room. Or you could, uh, mine. I’d be, I’d be fine with either. With it.” They look at each other, matching fear in their eyes, mirrored sadness, the both of them bleary and baggy from sleeplessness. 

Sokka nods. It’s slow and almost solemn. Asking a request he thinks he shouldn’t make, apologizing in the same motion he asks it.

Zuko feels like he’s about to break, like if a single sound cut through the night silence the spell would stop and things would return to the old tension of unknowns. 

Sokka nods again, shorter this time, and then says “Yeah, that would be nice, if you would.” 

“Yeah.”

Sokka hesitantly walks past Zuko towards his room, and then stops. “I don’t know if we should. I mean, you don’t want to like, have a relationship, and this isn’t going to be the same as it was. You know that. You know it’s not the same as it used to be. I said yesterday, that it’s the same as it was before we knew, but it's not. It’s not the same now. With the knowing.” 

“No. It's not. But I don’t know if that’s a problem for me.” 

Sokka stays standing there, uncertain on the threshold. 

Walking into Sokka’s room, Zuko pulls his phone from his pocket and tosses it onto the bed. Sokka follows him after a moment and shuts the door, a stutter to his steps, a slight movement to his hands. Not quite shaking, but a repressed urge to fidget. 

Zuko notices, looking at him with eyes that are soft and apologetic, and Sokka looks away like he’s been hurt. In a split second Zuko closes the distance between them, and his mouth is on Sokka’s and their hands are on each other, and it feels like an apology, like a promise to keep trying, to not give up. 

They stop, and Sokka breathes heavily, almost sobbing. 

Zuko says “I’m sorry,” 

Sokka sets his head on Zuko’s shoulder. 

“You said, you said that I said I don’t “want” to have a relationship, but that's not, that’s not true. I do want to. I just, I just don’t know how. I don’t know how to do this, not with my last relationship, and I can’t, I can’t lose you. You mean too much to me.”

Sokka lifts his head from Zuko's shoulder and looks at him. “I love you.” He says it quietly but clearly, like he’s afraid someone else might be listening, like he’s afraid Zuko might  **not** .

Zuko leans forward, grabs Sokka’s head like he’s holding onto a life saver, kisses him like he’s the only source of air. They break apart for a second, and then Sokka is kissing him in quick pecks, over and over and over.

“I,” he kisses Zuko “love,” another kiss “you,” he kisses Zuko again “and I don’t know how to do this without you. Like, live, I mean. I would figure it out, but right now, you’re part of my life and I don’t want that to change. You won’t lose me over this, whatever it ends up being.” 

The faint glow of streetlights coming from the window and the silence of the world around them keeps this spell over them of unreality, giving Zuko the bravery to be honest. “I felt bad, all day. I regret, well, not any of my decisions, but the result of all of them when combined. I shouldn’t have, I, I should have, have..”

“It’s okay.” 

“I was impulsive. If I had thought through any one of my actions, I could have hurt you less.” 

“Thanks, for not hurting me on purpose.”

“When have I ever done anything on purpose?” He says it like a joke, but they both know how many mistakes Zuko’s made in the past.

“Are you being impulsive now? I don’t want you to regret this too.” 

“No. no, this is the opposite of impulse. I haven’t thought about anything else all day.” 

“So now, this right here, is the one time you’ve done something on purpose?”

Zuko lets out a small laugh. “I guess so.”

“So what are we? What do you want? Not what do you think is a good idea, what do you want?”

“I want to marry you.” Zuko says impulsively, and then slaps a hand over his own mouth. 

Sokka bursts out laughing, doubling over, one hand on Zuko’s shoulder keeping himself from collapsing completely. Zuko stands there, mortified, and Sokka keeps laughing harder and harder.

Zuko finds himself chuckling too, and then remembers what he said and immediately stops. Sokka pulls himself back together and straightens up, takes one look at Zuko’s face, and starts laughing again. 

He stops himself quicker this time, “Okay I know I asked what you  **want** , but maybe put a little thought into what’s a good idea.” 

Zuko whispers, barely audible “I can’t believe I said that.” 

Sokka chuckles “I do appreciate it. I’ve never been proposed to before.” 

“Shut up.” Zuko’s voice is quiet and sounds like a plea. 

Sokka bites his lip and rests his forehead on Zuko’s own. “I’m not judging, I just told you: I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Zuko replies, and lets it hang in the air like a promise. “I want to try. I can’t, I can’t promise anything, but I want to try.” 

“Trying is more than enough for me.” 

“Can I still sleep with you tonight?” 

Sokka’s face brightens. “What? Yeah! Of course. I really missed having you in my bed. It’s lonely in here without you.” 

“You know I, I was awake for the same reason.”

Sokka chuckles and moves away from Zuko, towards bed. Zuko’s forehead feels cold without Sokka’s resting against it, and Sokka’s hand trails down Zuko’s arm, and then tugs him forward by the hand. Sokka flops down on the bed, unceremoniously pulling Zuko down on top of him. Zuko tries to catch himself on the way down, but Sokka doesn’t let go of his hand, and their legs end up tangled together. They kiss breathlessly, and Sokka rolls them over til they’re laying side by side. 

Zuko swears he can see stars in Sokka’s dark eyes as Sokka pulls Zuko's hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. 

“We should get some sleep,” Sokka murmurs, and Zuko can only nod in response.

He pulls his hand out of Sokka’s so he can grab Sokka by the back of the head and pull them together for one more kiss, then he takes Sokka’s hand again and nestles himself down in the blankets, his eyes falling shut. He feels Sokka wiggle around beside him, settling the blankets about his shoulders, and he hears him sigh sleepily, turning into a yawn halfways through. 

~ ~ ~ 

The next thing Zuko hears is his phone alarm buzzing beside him. Zuko stares at the ‘thursday’ beneath the clock, feeling like he’s in a haze. So much has happened in the last week. He dismisses the alarm as Sokka rolls over. Sokka’s eyes blink open and then he scrunches up his face in confusion.

Zuko whispers “I love you.”

Sokka's face breaks out in a grin, brighter than the morning sun streaming through the window.

“I love you too” He says, and then kisses Zuko all over his face.

Zuko recoils in disgust, putting a hand over Sokka’s mouth. “You have morning breath.”

Sokka chuckles against Zuko’s fingers. “Fine, I won’t kiss you ‘til I‘ve brushed my teeth.”

Zuko looks at Sokka, a small smile on his face like he doesn’t even believe he’s here. Then he looks away, over Sokka’s shoulder. “Should we tell people? I mean, do you want to?”

“I would like to. I’d like to tell my family, and Aang.”

Zuko laughs. “Aang will be thrilled. You said he told you you should tell me you liked me?”

“Yeah, I may have talked about my crush on you, uh, a lot.”

Zuko chuckles. “I did too. I can’t believe he didn’t just knock our heads together, if we’ve both been agonising at him about our feelings.”

Sokka laughs, then sits up. “I should go brush my teeth.”

Zuko gets out of bed so Sokka won’t have to climb over him. “I’ll go start breakfast.”

Sokka smiles, and like he can’t believe he’s allowed to he says “I love you.”

Zuko starts on breakfast, mixing and rolling out dough, and starts it frying. He grabs lettuce and chili oil from the fridge and sets them to the side. As Zuko cracks an egg onto the frying pancake Sokka comes into the kitchen. He hops up on the counter beside the stove and looks down at Zuko, reaching out a hand to tilt his chin up, and kisses him soft and slow. Zuko steps in between his legs, holding him close and kissing him back.

Zuko pulls back for a breath, and asks with his heart in his throat “Should I tell Iroh?”

“If you're honestly asking my opinion, then yes. I think you should.”

“I’m not, I haven't come out to him.”

Sokka’s eyes widen in surprise. “You never told him you’re gay?”

“No. I, well, it’s just never come up.” 

“Huh. I just kind of assumed he knew. I know I shouldn’t have, but Everyone knew about you and Jet.”

“Can we, uh, not talk about Jet?” 

“Yeah, of course. Sorry.”

“I don’t like, blame him, you know? It wasn’t a good time for  **either** of us, but…” Zuko trails off.

“But it wasn’t a good time for you. Yeah.”

Zuko looks over at the stove, realising he should be keeping an eye on it. Sokka laughs, and lets go of Zuko.

“Sorry for distracting you.”

Zuko flips the pancake, letting the egg brown for a moment before sliding it onto a plate, handing it to Sokka. “It’s fine, I always give you the ugly ones anyway.”

Sokka puts the condiments on it and is already shoving the pancake in his mouth when he responds “Who cares what it looks like? It’s delicious.”

Zuko rests his hand on Sokka’s leg as he cooks, and when it’s done he eats it from the pan. Zuko goes and gets dressed for the day while Sokka washes the dishes. They part ways at the door with a kiss goodbye.

Zuko walks into the Jasmine Dragon to the bright jingling of the bell on the door.

Iroh smiles at him from behind the register. “Good morning, Zuko. You look awake today.”

Zuko smiles down at his feet, then goes in back and puts on his apron. He takes over the register so Iroh can focus on making tea. 

“You have rehearsal today, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll head out around 2.”

“Well good luck, break a leg!”

“Uncle. You don’t say that for a rehearsal.”

“Why not?”

“You just, don’t.”

Zuko passes someone their change, and turns to Iroh.

“Can I talk to you about something?”

“Of course! You can talk to me about anything, you know that right?”

“Yeah, I know.” Zuko says. He smiles a little and then there's an awkward pause as he tries to figure out what to say. In the end he blurts it out. “I’m gay.”

Iroh nods in acknowledgment. “The flower that blooms in adversity is the greatest gift of all.” Iroh says, in his sagest proverb voice, and Zuko wonders why he feels like he’s heard that before.

Unsure how to respond to that, Zuko continues “I'm dating Sokka.”

“He’s seemed like a good friend, I’m so happy for you. How long have you been dating?”

“Um, a day.”

“Oh.” Iroh pauses, seeming very surprised. “I would have thought it had been longer.”

Zuko collapses his head onto the counter. “Uncle,”

“Yes, nephew?”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Well, sometimes these things are more obvious to those on the outside of the situation. I’m just glad you two have finally figured it out.”

Zuko rolls his head to the side, cheek pressed to the cold countertop, and groans aloud.

~ ~ ~ 

Sokka has been home for hardly a minute, just dropped his bag on the floor and is looking in the fridge, when the front door opens again. He looks over to see Zuko, standing there with an indescribable look on his face. Zuko walks over to Sokka, and pulls him into a hug.

“Piandao wants to put on my play next,” Zuko says, breathlessly, “The play that I wrote.”

“What do you mean?”

“After this play finishes showing, he wants to put on a production of my play.”

“For real?” Sokka pulls back to look at him. “That’s fantastic!”

Zuko's face breaks out into a grin. Sokka kisses him, lifting him off his feet and spinning around. 

“I can’t believe it.” Zuko says when Sokka sets him back down.

“I can.” He kisses Zuko again. “You worked hard for this.”

Zuko kisses him back. “I should go take a shower. Aang is coming over tonight.” 

“You go do that.” Sokka says. Zuko slips out of his arms, and Sokka watches him leave. His eyes linger on the bathroom door until he hears the shower. 

He opens the fridge, and spends a while looking through, deliberating over vegetables. Zuko gets out of the shower and walks over as Sokka is building a pile next to the stove. He holds up a bell pepper towards Zuko questioningly.

“Sure. Stir fry?” Zuko asks.

“Yeah, you said Aang is coming over. So I figured I could cook the meat separately.”

“Oh, speaking of-” Zuko holds out his phone to Sokka.

From: Aang

Sorry I’m not there yet. I’m at Katara’s, she’s driving me over soon. 

To: Aang

That's fine, see you soon.

From: Aang

Can you ask Sokka if Katara can come hang out too?

Sokka reads over the messages and then takes the phone, typing out a reply.

To: Aang

Sokka says yes.

Sokka hands Zuko his phone back. “So, we're telling them tonight, right?”

“Yeah.” Zuko smiles and kisses Sokka’s hand.

**Author's Note:**

> [here have an art for this fic on my tumblr](https://ethemreal.tumblr.com/post/638344816499064832)


End file.
